


Every (Devil) Dog has his Day

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Luciferian Fics (One shots) [34]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Humor, crack fic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 02:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11348292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: Lucifer has a hard time dealing with his new Irish Wolfhound body after dear old Dad turns everyone into animals.Takes place after S2x08.One shot.





	Every (Devil) Dog has his Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [titC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/titC/gifts), [skaoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skaoi/gifts), [BurningUpASunJustToSayHello](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningUpASunJustToSayHello/gifts).



> Thank you so so SO SO MUCH to my friends Skaoi, titC, and BurningUpASunJustToSayHello for the idea of everyone as dogs, the dog and cat breeds, and the idea of Dad being the one to blame for it all. This story couldn’t be what it was without you three! Thank you, you all are super-awesome!
> 
> A special shout out to my wonderful friend and amazing, excellent, awesome beta, titC, for helping me make sure the dog behavior was correct and for being that second pair of eyes (especially at the end). Thank you so so SO much, you are just spectacular!
> 
> And a huge special thank you to my wonderful friend JMW, who reminded me of the traits that dogs have and gave me the great idea for the ending. Thank you, you are awesome!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker, Trixie Decker, Dan Espinoza, Ella Lopez, Linda Martin, Mazikeen, Amenadiel, and Mum are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucifer knew as soon as he woke up that something was terribly wrong.

All the covers were kicked off of his bed and he was naked as usual, but he was curled in a ball, which felt... odd.  His rear felt... strange, like he had an extra appendage back there.  Stretching his limbs as he opened his eyes, he nearly fell over when he saw black fur covering his body.   _What the me?!_  

Blinking, he tried to get up and found himself on all fours.  His hands and feet had become paws -- big, clumsy things.  A movement behind him caught his eye, and he whirled to see what it was -- only to run in circles several times before realizing he was chasing his own tail.  What in the world had happened to him?

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, although it came out as a strange woof-like sound.  Standing on the edge of the bed, he was surprised at how high up he suddenly felt -- which was ridiculous, since he knew that it wasn’t that far to the ground.  Taking a deep breath, he leaped off, landing gracefully on his four paws.  Well, that wasn’t so bad.  

Smiling at his success, he walked to the bathroom.  Goodness, he felt incredibly short.  Used to his tall stature, being half that height was a shock.  Drawer handles were at eye level, and he felt terribly close to the ground, like he was crawling around on his hands and knees -- which he was doing, really.  Propping his front paws on the bathroom counter, he looked in the mirror.  A big, black Irish Wolfhound stared back at him.  Gaping, Lucifer shook his head fiercely.  No, this couldn’t be happening.   _No, no, no...._

He resembled a nightmarish version of The Shaggy Dog.  Bloody hell -- and he had just manscaped the night before!  Where were his debonair good looks?   And how was he ever going to wear his suits like this?  Not that he had any problem about running around naked, but... well, he wanted to look good for the detective, who preferred him with clothes on.  Being covered with black, wavy hair and having his somewhat scruffy head topped with floppy ears did not make him look handsome.  In fact, he looked more like Black Shuck, the ghost dog of East Anglia.   _No._  He completely rejected this.  This could not be happening to him -- he was the Devil, for goodness’ sake!  He was not a dog!  There had to be some mistake!

His heart pounded in his chest as he took off running for the balcony.  Once outside, he paced back and forth as he tried to calm down.  Even as he did so, he became aware of new smells he had never noticed before -- the smog, the damp dirt in the planters, the moisture in the air.  Everything had an exciting fragrance.  And the sounds -- he could hear so much better now!

And yet, this wasn’t him -- he didn’t _want_ it to be him.  Taking a seat on the cool tiles, he gazed up at the clear blue sky and growled.  “A dog?  Seriously, Dad?  Bloody hell, this isn’t funny!”

There was no answer.

“Dad, come on, change me back!  Dad!”

Nothing.

How was he ever going to function like this? And -- worse yet -- how was the Detective going to look at him now?  Would she even recognize him?  Maybe he could send her a message of some sort, although what sort of message could he text?

_Hello, Detective.  I’m a dog.  No, not a dog of a man, but quite literally a dog._

Well, that wouldn’t work.  No, she would think him truly insane if he texted _that_ message.  Perhaps something more innocuous, like: _please take care of the big black dog that I’m sending over to you._  Would that work?  Perhaps.  Loping back to the bedroom, Lucifer put his paws on the nightstand and stared at his phone, then at his big, clumsy paws.  Right -- texting or even phoning definitely wasn’t going to work.  He’d just have to get to the precinct and see her in person.

A string of curses erupted from his mouth.  And how the bloody hell was he supposed to drive?!  He’d have to walk all the way across town to get to her, and he hated bloody exercise....  Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to think of options.  Linda was closer -- maybe she could help him....

Of course, that depended on whether he could communicate with her or not.  What if he couldn’t?  There was the distinct possibility that she would not understand a single woof or howl he said.  Sighing heavily, he tried to place a hand on his forehead, but ended up scratching his ear with his paw instead.  This new body was enough to drive him to drink!  Which actually was not a bad idea....  

Padding back into the living room, he stared forlornly at the Scotch decanter on the bar.  His dog body was tall enough to reach it if he got on his hind legs, but how to pour the alcohol?  He supposed he could just knock the decanter over, but it would make such a mess, and the crystal would shatter and send shards everywhere....

The ding of the elevator caught Lucifer’s attention.  His initial thought was to run and hide, but what good would that do?  Besides, no one would ever believe that he had been transformed into a dog.  Everyone would just think he had bought a new pet.  Taking a deep breath, he decided to face whomever had decided to visit.

A giant Saint Bernard walked in with a scrawny cat on its back.  Lucifer blinked with surprise at the odd sight.  The cat -- a strange-looking, wrinkled, hairless monstrosity with blue eyes -- hopped off the dog and shot him a fierce glare.

“I suppose your father thinks this is funny,” the cat said.

Lucifer started at the sound of her voice.  “Mum?”

“Who else would it be?”  She flicked her tail with irritation.  “As if it wasn’t bad enough being stuck in a human meat sack, your father has to put me in this... this hideous form.  This is just ridiculous!  When we get back home, I’m going to --”

“Mom, please,” the Saint Bernard said, whom Lucifer -- oddly enough -- immediately recognized as his brother.  “Before we can go home, we have to somehow get ourselves back to normal.”

Lucifer turned to the dog and snickered.  “Amenadiel -- I should have known you’d be a big, furry, cuddly thing.  I wonder what Maze would think?”  He squinted at the barrel around his brother’s neck.  “Is that... is that alcohol?”  A huge grin split his face.  “Well!  Just what the doctor ordered.  Come here, brother.”

As the Devil stalked the large dog, Amenadiel backed away.  “This is mine, Luci!  Dad gave it to me!  It means I’m the favorite --”

“I need it more than you -- give it to me!”  With a great leap, the giant wolfhound pounced on the Saint Bernard and they tussled on the floor, kicking up a ruckus.

Charlotte rolled her eyes.  “Boys, now is not the time for this.  We need to find a way to get back to the way we were!”

The two fighting brothers ignored their mother until Lucifer pinned Amenadiel down and managed to twist open the spigot on the cask with his mouth. When liquid spilled onto the floor, the fallen angel realized what a mess he was making and quickly closed the spigot.  Taking a taste of the alcohol, he turned away in disgust.  “Seriously, brother?  A Cosmopolitan?!  What is wrong with you?  Casks are supposed to hold brandy or whiskey!  Not... not a Cosmo!”

Amenadiel shot dark looks at his brother.  “I happen to like Cosmos, Luci.  There’s nothing wrong with them.”

Lucifer shook his head sadly as the angel lapped up the mixed drink.  How far his brother had fallen!  “Well, perhaps we should go see Doctor Linda.  She may be able to help us out of this mess.”

“And what do you think she can do?”

“Well... surely she can think of something?  Or at least she can pour me a drink.”

Charlotte tossed her head as she walked up to Lucifer and ran her hairless tail across his chest, sending a shudder through him.  “Are you expecting her to be human, son?  I hate to disappoint you, but everyone is an animal.”

Dumbfounded, the wolfhound stared at the cat as his rump fell to the floor.  “Everyone?”  Goodness, did that mean the detective was an animal too?  Surely Dad wouldn’t be that evil...?  But if he had changed her -- what was she?  Curiosity burned within him as he considered the possibilities.  

“Yes.  We didn’t see a single human on our way here,” Amenadiel said as he finished up his drink and sat back with a goofy grin.  His expression reminded Lucifer that he needed to keep his brother away from anything stronger than wine.

“Lovely,” the Devil muttered, then took a deep breath.  “Well, we can still see Doctor Linda about what Dad might have been thinking. She might have some ideas, and it never hurts to have a second opinion.”

“Linda?” Amenadiel looked at him incredulously.  “What good could she do?  She doesn’t know the truth about who we are.”

Lucifer lifted his chin defiantly.  “Well yes, she does, actually.  I showed her a few weeks ago.”

Charlotte stared at him in horror.  “You... you _showed_ her?”

“Luci, you can’t do that!  Showing humans the Divine --”

The Devil shrugged.  “It was necessary, and it can’t be undone now.  Besides,” he added with a grin, “Now we can ask her for help.  Let’s go!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The journey to Doctor Linda’s office felt strangely short, even though they’d had to walk there.  It was as if Dad had shrunk the city so that they could travel about more quickly, and there were no vehicles in sight... only animals walking about.  The wolfhound found it all very disconcerting.  What was Dad’s end-game?  It made absolutely no sense....

When they entered the Doctor Linda’s office, Lucifer was surprised to see Maze already there.  It was odd how he was now able to recognize everyone right away, as if they had been in these forms their entire lives.  A bit scary too, to be honest.  The thought that he might be trapped in a dog’s body forever rattled his insides and churned his stomach.

Maze turned as they walked in, a sleek German Shorthaired Pointer with a black roan coat.  Sitting across from her was a Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier -- Doctor Linda.  The Devil walked up and grinned at his therapist, who gaped at him.

“Lucifer?  Is that you?” she asked as she shook the blonde fur out of her eyes.

“The one and only.”  He grinned and spun in a slow circle.  “Like what you see?”

“I have to admit, you look exactly like how I imagined you would look as a dog.”

He didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but he decided to take it as one.  “Why, thank you, Doctor.”  He turned to the animals filing in.  “I believe you know my brother.  The cat is my mother.”

Doctor Linda’s mouth fell open and backed up a step, as if unsure of what to do.  “Oh wow -- the Goddess of All Creation right here in my office?  Wow...!”  She finally sat on her haunches and gazed at Charlotte with adoration.

“Oh, no way,” Maze said as she spied the wrinkled, hairless cat on Amenadiel’s back.   _“That’s_ Momma Morningstar?”  A chuckle escaped her, then a giggle, then guffaws, until she was finally rolling on the floor, convulsing with laughter.

Charlotte jumped down from her son’s back and took a swipe at the pointer’s nose.  “Shut up, Mazikeen.”

Maze immediately jumped to her feet and circled the cat with deadly intent.  “You better watch out, because I’m bigger than you.  I can finally torture you in the way you deserve --”

Inserting himself between them, Amenadiel shook his head.  “No, Maze.  You can’t --”

The pointer growled at the Saint Bernard.  “You wanna take me on?  You think you can?”

“Hey, no fighting in the office,” Linda cried.

With a heavy sigh, Lucifer rolled his eyes.  “Can we _please_ get down to business?  Goodness, now is not the time to be fighting!”  He turned to his therapist with hopeful eyes.  “Have you any ideas on why Dad is doing this to us?  Or how we can change back?”

“Me?  Why are you asking _me?”_

He cocked his head at her.  “Well, you _are_ the doctor.  Maybe you can think of why he would do this to us.”

“God works in mysterious ways -- Hey!  I said to stop fighting!” Linda barked at the three celestials in the center of the room, still circling and snapping at each other.  Or, in Mum’s case, clawing.  At the terrier’s bark, they turned to look at her.  When she scowled at them, they turned their backs to each other with a loud, “Hmph!” and sat in the shape of a Y, with their rears at the center.

Hopping up onto the couch, Lucifer snickered as he watched them, but the grin fell off his face when Linda bared her teeth at him.  “What?  It’s funny --”

“It’s not funny.  This is serious.”  Sitting by her desk, she lifted her chin and glared at the four of them.  “Now... why do you think God would do this to everyone?”

Charlotte licked her paw as she glanced over her shoulder at the therapist.  “That’s simple -- he’s cruel, manipulative, and likes to watch others suffer.  How I loathe him!”

“He must be trying to teach us a lesson,” Amenadiel said.  “We just have to figure out what it is.”

“Some lesson -- being a dog?  You already know how to be that,” Maze muttered under her breath as she looked the Saint Bernard up and down.  “After all, you’re his bi--”

“Maze!” Linda snapped.

Sulking, the pointer turned away and studiously ignored everyone else in the room.

“Well, Lucifer?  What do you think?” she asked.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here.”  Exasperation laced Lucifer’s voice.  “Now come on, Doctor Linda, think!  Why would dear old Dad do this to us?”

The terrier shook her head.  “I’m sorry, but I have no idea.”

“Well, this is getting us nowhere,” he muttered as he leaped off the couch and headed for the door.  

“Where are you going?” Charlotte cried.  “You can’t leave --”

“Yes, I can.  I need to... check on something --”

“You mean, someone --” Maze said in a snide voice.

Lucifer glared at her until she lowered her head and looked away.  Then he glanced at the others. “All of you, stay here and think of ways to get us back to normal.  I’ll see you later.”

“Pffft, I’m not staying here, if you’re not,” the demon said with a toss of her head.  “Come on, Linda, let’s go paint the town red.”

As the pointer left the office, Amenadiel chased after her, with the terrier and cat not far behind.  “Wait, Maze!  Can Mom and I come?”

Lucifer watched them all leave, then shook his head and took off for his own destination.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The journey to the precinct didn’t take long.  To be honest, Lucifer found it exhilarating to run as fast as he could down the streets, now crowded with animals.  Running like the wind, he dodged the larger horses and giraffes, lunged at small, fainting goats in order to watch them fall over like bowling pins, and leaped over the smaller badgers and rodents.  Of course, he had to stop every five seconds to mark his territory --  a somewhat horrifying problem, but it couldn’t be helped.  He was a dog, after all -- a dog with incontinence issues, apparently.  Still, it felt good to be out in the open, away from all the bickering that always seemed to materialize around Mum.  He just wanted to be free for a while... free to see Chloe.

What would she be? he wondered.  A cat?  A dog?  Hopefully not something bigger than him that could crush him underfoot, like a rhinoceros.  Yes, a rhino would be disastrous.  He wouldn’t be able to sweep her off her feet and woo her if she threatened to gore him with her horn.  Well, actually the thought of her goring him was somewhat exciting --

He suddenly paused in his run as his brows furrowed.  The urge to woo her meant that he had deeper feelings, and he didn’t... did he?  The warm, soft feelings she engendered in him didn’t mean anything, right?  He nodded to himself reassuringly.  That was right.  They were just partners.  Never mind that whenever he looked at her, his insides melted into a pile of goo.  He just... just wanted to have sex with her.  Yes.  That was it.  Just... sex.

So why did that leave him feeling so empty?

Shaking off his odd thoughts, he took off running again, and before he knew it, he was at the precinct.  Trotting inside, he made his way through the corridors, pushing his way past German Shepherds and Rottweilers.  There were a few smaller dogs -- chihuahuas and cocker spaniels -- that threw themselves at him, but he quickly sidestepped them and kept on moving.  As he passed the forensics lab, he popped his head in to see Ella.

Now a white dog with dark patches over one eye and one ear -- a Jack Russell Terrier -- the lab tech turned to him with a wide grin.  “Lucifer!”  She ran up and circled him, jumping up and down with frenetic energy and shaking with excitement.  “Isn’t this the coolest thing?”

He lifted an eyebrow at the little dog as he backed away from her exuberance.  “What is?”

“This!  Being a dog!  It’s awesome!”  Her face softened as she stared dreamily at the ceiling.  “I mean, this proves that the Big Guy exists!  It’s the greatest thing.”

“Great?”  Lucifer snorted.  “Right.  I highly doubt that being a dog is as awesome as you say.  I’m sure dear old Dad has some nefarious plot he’s getting ready to spring on us.”

She giggled.  “You need to stop method acting and just enjoy the sensation of being a dog!”

“I’m _not_ method acting!  And how can I enjoy the sensation of being a dog?  I’m a _dog,_ for goodness’ sake!”  Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “How could Dad do this to me?”

The terrier looked up at him with wise eyes.  “I think it’s a message he’s trying to send us.”

That caught Lucifer’s attention.  His eyes narrowed as he tipped his head.  “What do you mean?”

“I mean, God spelled backward is dog.  Maybe it’s a message to tell us we’re all his children --”

“A somewhat backward message, if you ask me,” he scoffed as he tossed his head.  “And what about the raccoons, cows and elephants roaming down the streets?  They aren’t dogs.”

“Maybe they don’t need to hear the message as strongly as we do.”

“Hmph.”  Unhappy with the direction the conversation was taking, he turning away and started for the door.  “Well, I’ll leave you to your work, Ms. Lopez.”

“See you later, Lucifer!” she called out happily behind him.

As the tall wolfhound made his way down another hall, he bumped into a huge, fawn-colored hound dog -- a Japanese Mastiff.  His head was huge and he was covered with muscles, but Lucifer was still taller than him.

Halting immediately, the mastiff looked the Devil up and down.  “Lucifer?  Is that you?”

“Hello, Dan.  How do you like being a dog?”  He grinned.  “Oh, sorry, you already know how that feels --”

Dan rolled his eyes.  “Geez, you’re still a dick, even as a dog.”

“At least I’m not a douche.”  For a moment they glared at each other, before Lucifer nudged the other dog’s shoulder in a friendly manner.  “Oh come on, Daniel, it’s not so bad, is it?”

“Are you kidding me?” The mastiff’s voice grew louder as he flattened his ears.  “I mean, look at me!  I’m a dog!  This is so wrong.”  His eyes narrowed as he studied him.  “You don’t seem that put out -- did you have something to do with this?”

“Dearie me, you’re getting a tad paranoid, aren’t you?  Why would I have anything to do with this?”

“I don’t know -- I just get the feeling that you would.  Now if you’ll excuse me....”  Dan edged past Lucifer.  “I have to help in Interrogation Room A.  Waller and Johnson are trying to wrestle a confession from Nathan Crawford.”

“You mean the man suspected of abducting and murdering twenty children?”

“Yeah, only he’s not a man anymore -- he’s a wolverine.”

Lucifer brightened.  “You mean the comic book character?  To tell you the truth, I’m not into Marvel -- I’m a DC fan, myself -- but I would like to check out his claws....”

Dan chuckled.  “As much as I wish he was the comic book character, no.  He’s a _wolverine._  He’s small but pretty vicious.  I better go.”  Giving the wolfhound a nod, he wandered down the hall.  

For a moment Lucifer let his eyes linger on Dan’s receding figure, then shrugged off the conversation and turned toward the bullpen.  Would Chloe be there?  What would she look like?  His heart pounded in anticipation.

He recognized her as soon as he saw her. She was... beautiful.  Stunning.  Refined.  Everything that she was when she was human.  Now a red and white Akita-ken, she stood on long, graceful legs, with sharp, intelligent eyes in a sweet face.  Her ears stood at attention, her coat looked so soft that he just wanted to bury his nose in it, and her tail was curled attractively over her back.  Arousal burned within him at the sight of her.  Quickly dodging behind a corner, he stole admiring peeks at her.  Luckily, she hadn’t caught sight of him yet.  His eyes softened as he cocked his head and sighed.  Oh, she was so lovely!  And he was... well....  The image of a shaggy black wolfhound came to mind.  He needed styling products!  Or at least a good brush....

“Lucifer!”

The Devil jumped at the Corgi who dashed up and flung herself on him -- or tried to.  The little dog had the exact same coloring as Chloe, and her exuberance in greeting him left no doubt as to who she was -- Beatrice.  Stifling a yelp, he pressed himself as hard as he could against the wall in an effort to get away from her.  “H-hello, child.”

“Whatcha doing over here?” she asked.  Her eyes grew sly.  “Are you hiding from Mommy?”

“What?  No!  Of course not!”  No, he was spying on her, instead... which sounded worse, actually.  Flustered, he cleared his throat -- or tried to.  “Right.  What are _you_ doing here, child?”

“Mommy brought me in today.  She said things were too weird with everyone becoming animals, and wanted me close.”

“Wise thinking.  Your mum is always very clever.”

“Let’s go see her!”

“Ah, right.  No --”

But it was too late.  The little Corgi started nipping at his heels, herding him like a wayward sheep into the bullpen toward Chloe.   _Oh, bloody hell, no...._  He couldn’t let Chloe see him like this!  What would she think of him?  Styling products -- he needed styling products!  And a fine, bespoke suit!

When the beautiful Akita-ken glanced up, he froze in his tracks.  Suddenly unable to breathe at the sight of her, he gaped like a besotted fool.  Warmth flooded his body, giving him a cuddly sensation.  She was so beautiful....  

His fool tail suddenly started whipping back and forth like a manic thing, knocking items off desks.  Embarrassed, Lucifer tried to make it stop, but he couldn’t seem to control the crazy appendage.  Turning quickly, he bit at it, until it finally got the message and stayed still in a stately manner.  He glanced back at Chloe with a sheepish look on his face.

“Mommy, look who I found!” Trixie cried as she nudged him forward.

Chloe gazed at him, a tender smile gracing her face.  “Hello, Lucifer.”

At her smile, all sorts of strange canine urges overwhelmed him.  Taking a large whiff of the air, he smelled all sorts of wonderful aromas that told him about her -- what she had eaten for breakfast, her mood, everything.  Before he could stop himself, he trotted over and sniffed her rear.  Whirling on him, she bared her teeth.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she barked, her hackles raised.

Snapping out of his primal trance, Lucifer suddenly let out a small whine and hunched his shoulders as he backed up a few steps.  What _was_ he doing?  He wasn’t a dog, he was a fallen angel -- the Devil, to be exact!  The Devil didn’t go around sniffing people’s rears!  Well, not unless they asked him to -- and the detective had definitely _not_ asked him to. Always one to respect her boundaries, especially lately as they had grown closer, he felt shame that he had crossed a line.  Appalled now at his own behavior, he found himself at a loss for words.  Lowering himself until his belly touched the floor, he crawled a few steps toward her.  He couldn’t even think of something glib to say as he struggled to explain.  “I don’t know what came over me.  Well, I... I mean... I _am_ a dog --”

She growled at him.  “You got that right.”

The urge to hide under one of the desks and curl into a ball washed over him.  Perhaps the floor beneath him would open up and swallow him whole?  He certainly hoped so as he flashed her a sickly grin.  “Chalk it up to animal instincts, Detective.”  That only earned him an eyeroll.

Totally oblivious to the atmosphere, Trixie giggled and ran circles around him.  “He’s funny, isn’t he, Mommy?  He’s acting just like a real dog!”

“He is at that.”  She tossed her head as she walked away from him.  “I should have expected such behavior from you.”

“Detective, I didn’t mean....”  His voice petered out as he followed helplessly, his insides melting at the sight of her.  His dog hormones kicked into overdrive at the wonderful fragrance of her pheromones.  Goodness, she was lovely....

Turning sharply, she glared at him with narrowed eyes.  “Are you looking at my ass?”

More heat flooded his cheeks.  He had been, actually.  “Ah... right....  It... ah... it’s a little hard not to, now that it’s at eye level --”

She bared her teeth at him.  “Well, stop it.”  

“R-right.”  He tried to put his eyes elsewhere, but they kept returning to her derriere as she walked to her desk.

“Dammit, there’s so much work that needs to be done....”  Chloe placed her paws on her desk, then scowled at the stack of files in front of her.  “Ugh!  Why the hell are we dogs?!”

Trying to clear his clouded thoughts, Lucifer shook his head, then looked at her.  “I’m sure Dad had something to do with it--”

Her eyes were sharp as she turned to him.  “Dad?”

“Yes.  You know....”  He glanced up at the ceiling.

Pushing off the desk, she landed on all fours and rolled her eyes.  “Oh my god --”

His tongue lolled out of his mouth as he sat back on his haunches and nodded happily.  “Yes, exactly.  Dad!”

She blew out an exasperated sigh.  “You talk about God like he really is your father --”

“But he is, Detective!  I am the Devil, after all....”

Chloe’s voice took on a tone of exaggerated patience.  “Lucifer, I know you say you’re the Devil, but you really aren’t.  So please... stop it.”

He blinked at her.  “But... but it’s the truth, Detective!”

“Look, I don’t know what happened in your life to make you think you’re the Devil, but you’re not.”  Her eyes softened as she gazed at him.  “You’re a good man, Lucifer -- far too good for you to keep believing that.”

Happiness flooded his insides, sending heat rushing into his cheeks.  She... she thought he was a good man?  Him?  Why... it was one of the nicest things she had ever said to him.  One of the nicest things _anyone_ had ever said to him....

“I... I don’t know what to say.”

Dashing up behind her mother, Trixie herded Chloe toward the wolfhound.  “Look at him, Mommy!  I like him as a dog.  Doesn’t he look dashing?”

The detective smiled as she looked him up and down, then back at her daughter.  “He does, indeed.”

Her words caused Lucifer’s chest to puff up with pride.  With a stupid grin on his face, he stood straight and tall.  She thought he looked dashing!  Perhaps he didn’t need styling products after all....

For a long moment the two dogs just stared at each other as the rest of the world faded away.  Lucifer was dimly aware of the little spawn wandering off, but all he could see was his lovely partner.

“I could really use your help today since you’re here, but....”  Her voice petered out as she glanced at her desk.  

His heart squeezing at her sad expression, Lucifer blurted out, “I can help.”

She shook her head.  “I don’t think you can.”

“Why not?”  After her comments, he’d do _anything_ for her -- even light the stars for her, if she wished....  Well, if he had his wings back, of course.  Whatever she wanted, he would do, as long as he could do it with her --

She smiled at him as she gracefully lifted a paw.  “Because there’s a ton of paperwork to do, and we don’t have any hands.”

“Hands... right.”  Completely overwhelmed by her proximity, he continued to stare at her with heart-eyes.  Would she mind if he leaned forward and planted a little smooch on her kissable cheek?

“It’s always nice when you lend a hand.”  Her voice dropped down to a soft whisper.  

“Nice... right.”  His tail started whipping around like a crazy thing again as he started to lean forward.  Just a little smooch.  Surely she wouldn’t mind?  They were dogs, after all.  It would be all right, wouldn’t it?  His heart started to pound furiously in his chest as his breaths grew short.  Her soft chuckle at his obvious inattention to the conversation filled him with warmth.  She was laughing!  A good sign....

Caught in the moment, she started to lean forward as well, when suddenly a loud commotion across the room broke them apart.  Nathan Crawford, now a wolverine frothing at the mouth, had broken away from several German Shepherds and was running straight for Trixie.

“Bloody hell --” Lucifer cried as Chloe leaped into action, racing in an intercept course toward the powerful creature.  

Too late -- the wolverine pounced on the Corgi, pinning Trixie down with his claws.  “Stay back!  Come any closer and I’ll kill her!”

All the police dogs in the precinct suddenly froze and the room grew deathly quiet.  Glancing at Chloe, Lucifer could see the fear in her eyes, even though her face remained impassive.  The raised hackles, her flattened ears, her muscles bunched and ready to spring -- the Devil could see that she was ready to attack... and at that moment, he knew he had to do something.  If he didn’t, she would put herself in danger, and he couldn’t have that.

Sauntering up, Lucifer pushed his way past Chloe to stand in front of the wolverine.  “Are you serious?”

“What are you doing?” his partner hissed behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to tell her with his eyes not to interfere.  He’d get her spawn back safe and sound, no matter what.  For Chloe, he’d do anything, risk everything, because... because --

Because he loved her.

The revelation spun in his head, dizzying him for a moment before giving him strength.  Yes, he loved her.  That was why he wanted to go slow and woo her.  He just hadn’t wanted to admit it, because he was afraid of feeling deeply about anyone.  After all, loving meant pain -- he’d realized that after he had Fallen, and had taken great pains to protect himself so that he’d never love again.  But she’d broken through his defenses, hadn’t she?  She had scaled that steep wall he had erected around his heart and touched him deeply.  All of his time with her, their experiences together, the moments that they shared -- it had all led to this.  He should have seen it before now.  How blind he had been!

He returned his attention to the animal before him.  “Come on, you can’t be serious.  Threatening a child in a precinct full of cops?”  Lucifer took another step toward the wolverine and his hostage.  The terror on the little spawn’s face twisted his insides and squeezed his heart.  He had to get her to safety!

“Stay back or I’ll kill her!”

“Surely this isn’t what you want?”  The wolfhound leaned forward and pulled up his charm.  “Tell me -- what is it you desire, more than anything else in this world?”

Crawford froze, his eyes growing wide as he fell under Lucifer’s spell.  “I want... freedom.”

“Well, you’re certainly not going to get it like this, are you?”  The Devil grinned.  “Come on, let the little one go --”

“I can’t.  She’s my leverage.  Besides, I like killing children.  If I take her with me, I can cut her into little pieces --”

Chloe’s horrified gasp resounded in the silence.  Lucifer saw her start forward, but he sidestepped in front of her.  

“Yes, well, you’ll never do that if you take her.  See the detective behind me?”  He tossed his head in his partner’s direction, but never took his eyes off the wolverine.  “That’s her daughter you’re threatening.  If you take the child, the detective will hunt you down and chop _you_ into little pieces.  Believe me, she’s the best in the department -- she’d never rest until you were dead.”

Crawford glanced at Chloe, then back at him again.  “So... what should I do?”

“Right.  Take me instead.”  Ignoring Chloe’s protests, Lucifer grinned at the creature.  “I’m not a cop, and I’ve got an obscene amount of money -- I would be able to fund you when we get out.  And no one would even think of going after you if you take me.  Come on, what do you say?”

The wolverine hesitated for a moment, then nodded.  “Come here so that the cops don’t get any ideas.”

“Lucifer, no --” Chloe cried, but the Devil shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“Don’t worry, Detective.  Everything will be fine.”  He strode up to Crawford.

“Get down so that I can get on you.  You’re too tall, dammit.”

“Very well.”  He crouched and waited.  His eyes glittered with triumph as the wolverine slowly released Trixie and climbed onto his back.  Wincing as the criminal sunk his claws into his shoulders, Lucifer got to his feet and watched the little spawn dash back to her mother.  That sight was well worth the pain.

And now, how to get out of his predicament?  If he could just get away from the detective, he’d be immortal and he could punish the bastard... but as he took stock of the number of police dogs around him, he realized that wasn’t going to happen.  They would never let this child-killer go, no matter who he held as a hostage.  They’d hunt Crawford down like a dog -- well, perhaps rodent in this case.  As well they should -- the bloody sod needed punishment.

“Let’s go,” the wolverine ordered as he dug his claws deeper into Lucifer, drawing blood.  

The Devil thought fast as he started walking.  If he could just find a way to be alone with the child-killer, he’d have a chance to punish him.  Crawford wouldn’t know his way around the precinct, would he?  Maybe the answer was to take the long way to the exit and corner him in a room.   The criminal had just come from an interrogation room and probably knew the location of lock-up, so those options wouldn’t work, but perhaps one of the conference rooms....

“Make way, everyone,” the wolfhound said brightly.

No one said a word as the police dogs watched him travel deeper into the precinct, and they kept their distance.  Lucifer glanced behind him to see Chloe passing Trixie off to Dan, before his unwanted passenger sunk his claws deeper into his shoulders.  Wincing, the wolfhound kept walking at an easy pace until he passed an open door to one of the conference rooms.

Spinning on his paws, Lucifer dashed inside, slamming his back and the wolverine against the conference table leg.  Crawford cried out as the wolfhound twisted and flung him against the wall, hard enough to punch a hole in the drywall and snap a wooden stud.  Pain spread like wildfire across Lucifer’s back, but he kept hurling himself against walls until his captor finally let go.  He didn’t have immortality while Chloe was near, but he still had his strength....

Whirling on the wolverine, Lucifer let his eyes glow red.  “Well, looks like you chose the wrong hostage to take.”  He chuckled.  “Hell has a special place for child-killers....”

Crawford gaped at him.  “What... what are you?”

“Your worst nightmare.”  Grinning, the Devil flashed his red, skinless form at his opponent before wrapping his glamour back around him.

Horrified, the wolverine started screaming as madness took over his brain... but instead of cowering like any normal person would, he instead lunged at his adversary.  Dodging the vicious jaws of his opponent, Lucifer sunk his teeth into the animal’s shoulder and heaved him across the room.  Crashing into a chair, the wolverine shook his head then popped back on his feet.  With a roar he ran at the wolfhound, tackling him and sending them both into more chairs as they rolled around on the floor and grappled with each other.  Lucifer struggled to keep his snout from getting bitten off as Crawford’s jaws snapped terribly close to his face.

Just when he thought he’d never get the beast off him, something grabbed Crawford from behind and shook him hard before throwing him aside.  A number of German Shepherds piled into the conference room, quickly subdued the attacker, then took him away.  Blinking with surprise, Lucifer looked up to see his savior.  Chloe... of course.  His wonderful, fearless, brave partner stood over him, her eyes full of worry.

“Are you okay?” she asked as he pulled himself to his feet.  He would have dusted off his suit jacket had he been wearing one, but since he wasn’t, he took a deep breath and sat up straight.

“Fine.”  He gave her a grin.  “Your spawn?”

“Scared but okay, thanks to you.”

“Yes, well, all in a day’s work, correct?”  

Her expression darkened.  “No, Lucifer, not ‘all in a day’s work.’  What the _hell_ were you thinking, trading yourself for Trixie like that?”  Her voice rose into a series of angry snarls.  “Do you know how scared I was?  Do you?!”

Caught off-guard by her attack, he could only gape at her.  “Well... I didn’t think --”

“No, you _didn’t_ think!  Dammit, Lucifer, let the professionals handle this sort of thing.  You can’t be putting yourself in danger like that!”

“But... but you got your daughter back --”

“But I might have lost _you!”_

She froze.  He froze.  They both froze as her words hung in the air between them.  Chloe’s eyes widened and she suddenly backed up a few steps as she looked everywhere but at him.

“I... I mean... I... I have to go check on Trixie.”  Before he could even say a word, she darted out of the room.

His mouth still agape, Lucifer stared after her as a sweet feeling raced through his insides and warmed his heart.  The detective didn’t want to lose him!  He grinned as his tongue lolled out of his mouth, then felt like a complete idiot because he was acting like a stupid, bloody _dog._  Cursing Dad in his head, he swallowed hard as he tried to be more stately.  His eyes softened as he stared at the empty doorway that Chloe had dashed through.  He had had no idea that she’d been concerned over his well-being.  With happiness sweeping through him, he danced a little jig right there in the conference room before he strutted out the door to find her.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

But he didn’t find her... at least not right away.  She completely avoided him like he was the plague.  Telling him that she wanted to oversee Crawford’s incarceration in lock-up, she kept well away from him.  He tried to follow her there, but ran into ten police dogs guarding the wolverine in the open holding cell.  Unable to use keys with their paws to lock the cell door, they stood like silent sentinels, watching the frothing animal inside.  Lucifer couldn’t very well talk to her with everyone there -- no privacy! -- so he waited for her at her desk.  Unfortunately, every time he tried to talk to her, she came up with another excuse to dash away to some other location.  It was enough to hurt his feelings.

But then all he had to do was remember how worried she had been, and his confidence came right back.

He finally cornered her at the end of the day.  Staying hidden, Lucifer spied on her as she rounded up Trixie and left the building.  For a few minutes he followed them at a distance, then finally gathered up his courage.  She couldn’t avoid him forever, right?  At least not while the little spawn was there....  Trying his best to look nonchalant, he trotted up from behind to join them.  Trixie spotted him first.

“Lucifer!”  The little Corgi dashed up and ran circles around him, then herded him close to Chloe, who looked horrified.

“H-hello,” he stammered as his heart flip-flopped in his chest at her close proximity.  He stole a glance at her, only to find her stealing glances at him.  They both looked away quickly.

“What are you doing here?” Chloe asked gruffly as she stared up at some birds flying overhead.

“Ah... right.  I thought I’d walk you home.  You never know what dastardly creatures might be roaming about the streets of LA.”  A little laugh escaped him, but it sounded strained and awkward.

“Lucifer, I’m a cop.  I’m sure I can handle any dastardly creatures we might run into.”

He deflated like a balloon.  “Oh.  Right.  Of course.”  Swallowing hard, he plastered a grin on his face.  “But, well, it’s nice to have company when on a walk, don’t you think?”  He squeezed his eyes shut at the inane remark.  Why couldn’t he think of anything dashing to say?

Silence reigned for a few minutes as Trixie chattered to them both about the joys of missing school, and how exciting it was to be attacked by a wolverine.  Glancing at Chloe, Lucifer saw her flinch, and his insides clenched with sympathy.  Obviously she still felt upset that her daughter had been targeted.  How could he make this better?  Racking his brains, he came up with... nothing.  But maybe he could change the subject...?

“Detective --” he said just as she spoke his name.

They both froze again.  Goodness, this was becoming a habit!  The fallen angel scrambled to think of something glib to say and came up with, “Does your tail curl like that naturally, or do you have to hold it up?”

Oh, bloody hell.   _Smooth, Lucifer.  Real smooth._  He cringed and waited for her to say something sarcastic, once the look of surprise left her face... but she didn’t.

Instead, she ducked her head.  “It... it does that naturally.”

“Oh.  I like it.”  He winced inwardly.  Why couldn’t he think of something cool and intelligent to say, instead of sounding like a...a ... a _dork?_

“Thank you,” she said, giving him a shy glance.

Bored with the conversation, Trixie dashed ahead of them, running around and sniffing flowers but keeping well in view.  For a moment the couple walked together in companionable silence while Lucifer fought the urge to do his business on every bush and street sign.  He was sure it wasn’t something his partner wanted to watch, nor did he want her to.  As he struggled against himself, Chloe said, “Earlier today, you stated that no one would come after you if Crawford took you hostage.  Do you really believe that?”

“Well, yes, of course.”  Glancing at her, he was surprised to see the concern in her eyes... or was that pity?  Looking away, he let out a little chuckle.  “I’m the Devil, my dear.  Who would come to help me?”

“I would -- in a heartbeat.”

His head whipped back as he stared at her, shock in his eyes.  “Detective --”

“And I’m not saying that because we’re partners.”  She stopped in the sidewalk and turned to face him.  “You mean a lot to me.  Today when you traded your life for Trixie’s... I was really scared.  You’re a good man, Lucifer.  You’ve always had my back, you make me a better cop, and I trust you.  But more than that -- as i get to know you better, I think I’m starting to like you.  You know, like, _like you_ , like you, not like you as in just like you.”

He squinted at her.  “I beg your pardon?”

“I mean I _like_ you --”  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.  “I’m making a hash out of this.”

Wait... did she just say...?  His mouth fell open.  Was this happening?  Was this really happening?  No, he had to be dreaming.  This was a dream -- a wonderful, beautiful dream....  “Detective --”

“Forget it.”  She laughed uncomfortably.  “Don’t say anything.  It’s stupid, I know, and I’ll get over it.  After all, you’re rich and you have women coming out the wazoo.  What would you want with a stressed out cop and her daughter?”  Chloe started walking again, setting a brisk pace that even Lucifer with his long legs was hard-pressed to keep up with.

“Detective, wait!”

“Ignore me, Lucifer.  It’s just the stress of today -- being a dog, having my daughter’s life threatened, seeing you almost get killed.  I’m just being stupid.  Ignore what I’m saying.”

“No.”  Cutting in front of her, he finally stopped her in her tracks.  “I won’t.  I can’t, because I... I....”  His voice petered out as he gazed into her lovely eyes, his face softening with everything he felt for her.  “I....”

“Yes?”  Her voice dropped down to a whisper as her expression grew hopeful.

He swallowed hard as his heart started racing.  She was so close...!  “I....”

“Mommy!”  Trixie dashed up, breaking the mood.  “Can I go play in the park?  Can I, can I?”

Hesitating a moment, Chloe finally spoke to her daughter, although her eyes stayed glued to Lucifer’s.  “No, monkey.  It’s getting late and you have school tomorrow.”

“Awww, but Mommy...!”

She finally broke eye contact to look down at the little Corgi.  “No.  We’re going home.”  Turning back to the tall wolfhound, she gazed at him tenderly.  “Would you like to join us?”

Warmth shot through Lucifer’s heart as butterflies fluttered like mad in his stomach.  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

 

________________________________________

 

Dinner was a lovely affair.

Of course he would have preferred cooking for the detective, but being without hands made that impossible.  Instead, Chloe pulled out some leftover pizza from the refrigerator and the three of them ate it cold for their meal.  Not the best food in the world, but to Lucifer, it was a five-star meal.  He didn’t care what he ate -- he was with Chloe, and nothing else mattered.  Not even the little spawn bothered him -- well, not that much.  She still made him yelp in distress when she leaped on him, but hearing Chloe’s gentle laugh at his reaction made up for it.

After struggling with the television and DVD remotes with their paws -- Trixie’s little paws actually worked the best -- they all watched How to Train Your Dragon together until the child started nodding off.  Chloe nudged her into her bedroom and tucked her into bed while Lucifer watched from the doorway, feeling strangely content.  

The wolfhound hoped that perhaps he and his partner could spend some quality alone time together, now that the little one was asleep, but Chloe shook her head shyly and asked if he would like to sleep on the couch.  Disappointment washed over him, but only for a moment.  Everything was new and wondrous and he didn’t want to rush anything.  It was important to go slow, because he wanted this to be real.  Really real.  

Leaping up on the couch, he tried to get comfortable, but his limbs were too long and awkward.  Turning in a circle -- he didn’t even know why he did it, only that his body demanded he did -- he got his foot stuck several times in the crevice between the cushions.  With a frustrated growl, he finally gave up and hopped off the offending furniture while Chloe laughed.

“I refuse to sleep on that... that nasty piece of work.  It keeps trying to swallow my legs!”

Her eyes sparkled with delight.  “Maybe if you weren’t so tall, you’d fit better.”

“Hmph.  There’s nothing wrong with my height.  It’s your couch that’s too small.”  He tossed his head.  “Remind me to get you a larger one.”

She chuckled.  “You could sleep on the floor --”

“And wake up wretchedly stiff?  No thank you.”

Ducking her head, Chloe hesitated, then shot shy glances at him.  “Well, if you promise no funny business, you can come upstairs with me.”

Lucifer’s heart stopped before pounding furiously in his chest.  A huge grin lit up his face.  “Really?”

“No funny business!” she warned.

“My dear Detective, what could I possibly do like this?”  He held up a paw for her to inspect.  “I’m a dog, for crying out loud.  I can’t possibly show you any of my fantastic sexy moves like this, now can I?  And how will you appreciate my manscaped naked splendor when I’m covered in fur?”

That made her laugh, although he was perfectly serious.  When he made love to her, he wanted it to be perfect, and not some weird episode of Animal Planet.

So he followed her upstairs into her room, waiting patiently while she hopped onto the bed and turned in a circle before settling down.  With a great leap he joined her there, standing protectively over her while she closed her eyes.

“Come on, lie down, Lucifer.  I’m never going to sleep while you’re on guard like that,” she mumbled.

“In a moment, darling.”  His sharp eyes scanned the room for possible threats.

Sighing heavily, she rolled her eyes.  “We’re in my bedroom.  No one’s going to attack us here.”

He didn’t lower his guard.  “You never know...  Maze might decide to come in after painting the town red with Doctor Linda.”

When she suddenly stood up, pressed her nose to his cheek, and gave him a dog kiss, he nearly jumped out of his skin.  “You’re a good man, Lucifer.”

Gaping at her, he was sure his face was a fiery red -- or would have been, had he been in his original form.  “D-Detective....”

She lay back down.  “Now go to sleep.”  

How could she expect him to go to sleep after that?  She had kissed him!  He couldn’t believe it!  Joy burst in his chest.  His insides started vibrating with excitement, and he didn’t know how to handle it.  Suddenly leaping off the bed, he took off running down the hall.  He heard Chloe call after him, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.  Faster and faster he ran -- down the stairs, around the living room couch, back up the stairs, then down the hall and into her bedroom, only for the vibrating feeling to increase.  He had to keep going, keep going, his heart would explode if he didn’t....

Sprinting down his little race course over and over, he picked up speed with each pass.  And every time he ran into Chloe’s bedroom, he saw her sitting on the bed, watching him with surprise, then amusement -- but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

At last, when he felt completely exhausted, the happy vibrations faded, and he slowed down to a walk.  Somehow climbing up on the bed, he stood on shaking legs next to Chloe.

“Are you done now?”  Her eyes danced merrily.

“I... I certainly hope so, Detective.”  He struggled to catch his breath as he sat.  “I have no idea what came over me.”

She giggled and said in a voice filled with affection, “You’re silly.”  Yawning, she lay back down, curling herself into a ball and tucking her nose under her tail.  “Now go to sleep.  It’s late and we’ve both had a long day.”

As he watched her doze off, his heart filled with so much love that he thought it would burst.  How he adored her!  She was so beautiful, intelligent, gentle, brave, funny....  Oh, so many things.  He was enchanted by everything about her, having finally realized that he truly loved her.  Not only that, she had _kissed_ him!  That more than made up for the ridiculous dog joke that Dad had played on them all.  He would never forget this day... never.

Curling next to her, he snuggled close and laid his head over her back in a loving gesture.  “Chloe,” he whispered.  “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe....”

With a sigh of contentment, he closed his eyes and slept.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Lucifer!”

Chloe’s scream by his ear woke him immediately, and he started in bed.  Disoriented, he glanced around, wondering where he was.  Soft morning light was pouring through a window that he didn’t recognize.  He wasn’t at the penthouse, that was for sure.  It looked like... the detective’s bedroom?

“What is it?  What?” he cried as he sat up and watched the sheet fall from his body -- his very human-looking body.  Joy shot through him as he ran his hands up and down his chest.  He had hands again!  He was back in his normal, angelic form!  A huge grin split his face and he turned to his bed partner -- only to see her clutching a sheet to her nightshirt-clad body and staring at him in horror.

“Detective!”  He beamed at her.  “I’m not a dog!”

“What the hell are you doing in my bed?!”

He blinked.  “I... you... you don’t remember?”

“And you’re... you’re naked!” she choked out.

He blinked.  “Am I?  Naked, I mean?”  He lifted the sheet and admired his wedding tackle.  “Why yes, it appears I am!”  He brightened, then leaned close to her as his eyes smoldered with passion.  “Well, we should definitely take advantage of this situation --”

She smashed a pillow in his face.  “Dammit, Lucifer, you can’t be sneaking into my house and getting naked into my bed!  I have a daughter downstairs, for crying out loud!  I have a roommate --”

“But... But I didn’t.  You invited me here -- don’t you remember?”

For a moment she paused, her eyebrows drawing down as a puzzled look came over her, but then it was gone.  She started pummeling him with the pillow, punctuating every other word with a blow.  “Why the hell would I invite you naked into my bed?!”

Lucifer reeled at her words.  Normally he would have come up with a sexy quip, but he was too shocked to do so now.  She... she didn’t remember?  “Detective --”

Lowering the pillow, she pointed at the door.  “Get your clothes on and get out.”

“But I don’t have any clothes -- well, not on me, that is.”

“You came here _naked?!”_

“We all come into the world naked, my dear.”  He grinned, but then the smile slid right off his face.  “But Detective, don’t you... remember?”  Wait -- remember what?  What was he asking her to remember?  The dream -- for it must have been a dream -- was already fading away, like mist burning off in the hot summer sun.  All that remained was the memory of being a dog, as well as vague snippets of something important he had to remember....  And then those, too, were gone as real life replaced his dream.

Her eyes narrowed.  “Remember what?”

Funny how he couldn’t recall what he was going to say.  “Ah.... right.  It seems... I can’t remember now, either....”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe pulled herself out of bed and slung on a robe.  “You have to go.  Now.”  She scowled at him as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

He gave her a helpless look in return.  “But I really don’t have any clothes....  I don’t even know how I got here.”

“You must have driven --”

“No....”  His brow furrowed.  “As far as I can remember, I think I walked.  I must have sleepwalked.”

“You sleepwalked.  Naked.  Across town.”  Her voice dripped with disbelief.

“Yes.  It’s the only logical explanation....”

“How can you sleepwalk from LUX to Venice naked and not get arrested?!”  She held up a hand.  “No, don’t tell me.  It’s you, and only you can get away with that, I’m sure.”  

He hung his head as he gazed at her apologetically.  “I really don’t remember....”

She glanced back up at him and sighed.  “It’s okay.  You know, I’m beginning to believe you.  You’re obviously confused.  Did you hit your head?  Or drink too much?”

Indignation rose up in Lucifer.  “Detective, please!  I never drink too much.”  

She snorted, then turned away to rummage through her closet.  “Right, sure.  Well, you can’t go walking around without anything to wear.”  

Clothes hit Lucifer in the face as she threw items at him.  As he peeled them off his head, he was horrified to see a pair of fuschia sweatpants and a neon-green Bangles tee shirt.  “Oh, bloody hell, no, Detective.  You can’t expect me to wear these.  I’d rather go naked!”

Her eyes shot daggers at him.  “Not with my daughter downstairs.  Now get dressed.  I’ll call Uber for you.”

“But... why can’t I stay and eat brekkie with you?” he asked plaintively.  “I’m hungry.  Surely you’re not so cruel as to send me out on an empty stomach --”

“I’m not feeding you.”  She stared at him a moment, then bit her lower lip.  “Well, maybe.  We’ll see.  Tell me when you’re dressed.”  With that, she strode out of the room and shut the door.

Lucifer stared after her, still puzzled as to how he had gotten into her bed naked.  Was Dad playing a bad joke on him?  Perhaps.  As he pulled on the shirt, pain rippled across his shoulders.  “What the me?”

Reaching behind him, he felt scabs where something had clawed his back hard enough to draw blood.  How had that happened?  Glancing at the sheets, he didn’t see any blood, so the Detective hadn’t done it in an aggressive sex move....  So how...?

An image came to him -- a flash of teeth and claws.  On its heels came the memory of something else -- something important.  Something he had to remember....  For a moment, he almost had it -- but no.  Everything once again faded into nothingness.  And yet... something was different.   _He_ was different.

In the past when he thought of Chloe, he felt happy, but now his happiness was coupled with a warm, wonderful, glowy sensation that pervaded his chest.   The desire to do things for her was overwhelming, and not because he was angling for a deal or sex.  Oddly, sex with the detective had taken a backseat.  Oh, he’d be ecstatic if she agreed to sleep with him, but that wasn’t all he wanted anymore.

No, now there were more important things for which he yearned, like being there for Chloe when she needed a shoulder to lean on, or being the one she could turn to for comfort.  He longed to make her laugh, see her smile, and help her in whatever way he could with whatever she needed.  And of course, he needed to shower her with gifts, just because she was Chloe.  She was the only one for him -- there would never be anyone else.  He wanted to protect her, care for her, love her....

He blinked.  Where were these odd emotions coming from?  He didn’t understand it.  Could it have something to do with that strange dream he had that he couldn’t remember?  Had it affected him mentally in some way?  For these emotions --  compassion, selflessness, devotion -- were more befitting a dog than the Devil.

Shrugging, he pulled on the shirt Chloe had tossed him and chalked up his new emotions to his imagination.  Yes, surely that was it.

Once he dressed, he walked into the master bathroom, took a peek in the mirror, and cringed.  He looked like a clown, with the too-small shirt stretched tightly across his broad chest, and the too-short fuschia sweatpants showing off his calves.  Well, _this_ certainly was a sight he wanted to forget.  In fact, perhaps this whole bizarre incident would best be forgotten.  He’d go home, pour himself a stiff drink -- or several -- and just sleep the rest of the day away.  He’d bury this horrible memory -- relegate it to the very back of his mind -- and start fresh tomorrow.  Hopefully, the detective would have forgotten this nightmare morning by then, as well.

But when he opened the door and saw the detective burst out laughing at his appearance, joy rushed into his heart and he smiled back.  At that instant, he knew there was no way he would ever be able to forget all of the wonderful, new feelings that burned within him.  He’d never be the same again -- and strangely enough, he wasn’t bothered by that fact at all.  Grinning widely, he held out his arm to her.  When she chuckled and took it, he escorted her down the stairs with a flourish.  

As long as Chloe was by his side, his life was complete.

 

 


End file.
